1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cable support structures, and more specifically to a floor support for a power or signal cable.
2. Discussion of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR §§1.97, 1.98
There are numerous products that elevate cables off a floor in electrical transmission and signal transmission systems. Most known cable elevation devices are used in connection with walls or vertical supports (e.g. towers) and comprise either very simple clamping apparatus for merely holding the cable above ground, or very elaborate clamping apparatus for damping vibration, dissipating electrostatic charges, protecting the cable from damage, and the like. Exemplary devices are shown in the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,885, to Polad, which teaches an adjustable, removable, strap used to bundle and hold electrical cables above the floor or counter top and includes a flexible strap with headed pins in a top end that may be disposed through mating holes in the bottom end when the strap is doubled back to create a closed loop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,507, to Murphy, shows a cable support (for fiber optic cables strung between utility poles) that includes a contoured cradle for cushioning and spacing the supported cable, a clamp for securing the cable in the cradle, and a fastener and cleats for connecting to the pole. U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,941, to Sherman, discloses a device similar in principle, though slightly more elaborate design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,177, to Dulhunty, teaches an early cable suspension clamp that comprises little more than a rigid cylindrical cradle element with cushioning material disposed on the inner surfaces for holding an electrical conductor, and opposing clamping tabs extending from a slit in the cradle.
Cable support devices are also known to be used in connection with high-end audio and video systems. These cable support products are typically made from a variety of materials including wood, plastics, metal and ceramics. The effectiveness of all of these products, to the knowledge of the present inventor, is claimed to result from reduced vibration from the floor and/or isolation of the cable from the static field of the floor.